Weak or strong
by Miss P
Summary: Miss Parker and Debbie are at a bank. Some men take them and the others in the hall as hostage. What will happen when Miss Parker’s ulcer starts to act up?


Weak or strong. By Miss P.  
  
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Summary: Miss Parker and Debbie are at a bank. Some men take them and the others in the hall as hostage. What will happen when Miss Parker's ulcer starts to act up?  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters in this story and I'm not getting paid for writing it!  
  
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THE BLUE COVE BANK.  
  
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Debbie couldn't help but giggle as she saw the annoyed and impatient look on Miss Parker's face. She looked around. Even though the hall was almost empty. Except two old couples, three business men and a middle-aged woman, the lady standing in front of Miss Parker took surprisingly long time to do what she was doing. Debbie could see Miss Parker getting more and more irritated. And to be honest, she was a little impatient herself. She smiled; maybe Miss Parker's manner had stared to affect her. She just couldn't wait to get away from this place and start their shopping-tour. She was so happy, and still had a little hard time believing Miss Parker had wanted to be her adviser when she was going to shop clothes. It was really exciting!  
  
All of the sudden the silence was broken by people shouting and something that sounded like gunshots. Miss Parker reacted immediately. She drew her gun and spun around, ready to shoot whoever caused the stir. What she saw made her gasp loud in horror. Six black-dressed men with covered faces, paced around the room with their weapons aimed at the people. At the same time they were forcing the staff to give them money. No one dared to refuse. The vault was opened and two of the men rushed inside. After a while they came back and pointing their guns to the people's heads they forced them to go there. Everything went so fast that Miss Parker didn't know what to do. She was stunned, just standing there staring at the robbers. She felt Debbie press herself against her body. Her body was trembling with fear. Miss Parker felt sorry for her. Of course the poor kid was scared. Suddenly she felt someone grab her arm. By habit she yanked the hand of her, backing away and aiming her gun at the person. She pressed the trigger, but the man was too quick. He grabbed her hand and forced it upwards. The bullet hit the roof. Miss Parker cursed out loud, trying to break free. But as she felt a gun being pressed against her neck she didn't dare to do anything but to obey. The man took her gun away from her, throwing it to the floor. Then he dragged her and Debbie into the vault where the rest of the people were being kept. Three of the men left, slamming the door shut. The other three who were still in the vault stood by the door, with their weapons ready to use.  
  
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Miss Parker looked at Debbie; she was sitting next to her at the cold floor, staring into space. She could tell she was very frightened. Slowly she reached to take her hand.  
  
"Debbie, I'm sorry about this. But don't worry, It's going to be okay," she said, trying to comfort the young girl.  
  
Debbie slowly turned her head. Miss Parker saw she had tears in her eyes. "It's not your fault Miss Parker," she said.  
  
"Yeah, looks like our shopping day is ruined," Miss Parker mumbled. As she saw the sad look in the younger girls face she regretted what she said. "As soon as we'll get out of here, we're gonna spend one whole day shopping, I promise,"  
  
Debbie gave her a small smile. "Thank you Miss Parker," she said.  
  
"Debbie, you don't have to call me Miss Parker. You can call me...." Miss Parker was cut off by one of the men screaming at her.  
  
"SHUT UP!!"  
  
Miss Parker flinched and Debbie let out a small scream as the man took one big step towards them.  
  
"If you as much as lay one finger on us, you're gonna regret it!" Miss Parker snarled, glaring at the male.  
  
The man immediately hit her face with his rifle. Miss Parker hissed in pain. The man turned around and walked to stand next to his partners.  
  
"Are you okay?" Debbie whispered in a trembling voice. Miss Parker nodded. She slowly let her hand touch her cheek bone. She closed her eyes and bit her lower lip to not let out another sound of pain. Debbie gave her a doubtful look, but didn't say anything.  
  
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Hours had passed; from inside the vault they could distinguish the sounds of police sirens and people shouting. Miss Parker tried to hear what they were saying but only caught some of the words. What she understood, this whole thing happened because the men wanted their friend freed from prison. She slowly shook her head. There was no way the police would agree to that. She sighed heavily, she didn't want to scare Debbie more than necessary but she was afraid this could take a very long time. Miss Parker looked around. The small room was kind of dark. Only a dim light lit it up. People were sitting at the floor, leaning against the wall just like themselves. The three men were still watching them carefully. None of them were allowed to make any kind of noise. But still some of the people at the other side of the room whispered to each other. Miss Parker looked at Debbie; she had her arms wrapped around her knees and her face buried in her arms.  
  
"Debbie," Miss Parker whispered softly. The young girl looked up. She gave Miss Parker a questioning look.  
  
Miss Parker gave her a warm smile. After a little while Debbie returned the smile. Even though she didn't want to worry Debbie, she felt like she had to tell her the truth. With a sigh she started to talk. Debbie listened with a concerned look on her face.  
  
"It's okay...Don't worry about me Miss Parker," She finally said. Miss Parker smiled.  
  
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TWO DAYS LATER. THE CENTRE. BROOTS OFFICE.  
  
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"Syd! They're still at the bank, I'm so worried. What if Debbie gets hurt?" Broots almost screamed as the other man entered the office.  
  
"Yes... all of us are," Sydney said calmly.  
  
"Three days, and I bet she hasn't gotten any kind of food. Oh my god, what am I going to do!"  
  
"Broots, you need to calm down. They will be alright."  
  
"How can you bee so sure! I knew letting her go out with Miss Parker was a mistake. If she hadn't, this would never have happened. If Debbie dies I'll never forgive Miss Parker!"  
  
"Broots, it's not Parker's fault and you know that," Sydney stated.  
  
Broots sighed miserably. He walked up to his chair and collapsed in it, resting his forehead against his hands.  
  
"Broots, I understand that you're worried about your daughter. But I'm sure she won't get hurt as long as they'll do as they are told," Sydney said.  
  
"We all know that Miss Parker won't let anyone control her, what if she'll do something that'll harm Deb?"  
  
"I know my daughter knows when things are serious. She won't make a scene." Both Broots and Sydney looked up and saw Mr. Parker standing in the doorway.  
  
"Mr. Broots, I know you're worried. We all are, and it's so frustrating to know that we're not able to do a damn thing. I swear, if those bastards to anything to hurt my angel, they're not gonna live long enough to regret it!" With those words Mr. Parker turned and left. Sydney and Broots started after him, stunned. It was the first time they had seen the chairman genuinely concerned about his daughter. Maybe he did care after all.  
  
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MEANWHILE. THE BLUE COVE BANK.  
  
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Debbie awoke with a start. She looked around just in time to see one of the old ladies collapsing at the floor. Blood was streaming from her chest. Debbie let out a small scream of horror. She looked at Miss Parker. Her whole face was pale and she was staring at the lady's dead body.  
  
"Now that damn oldie won't have to complain about her headache," one of the men said in a cold voice. Another one agreed. The lady's husband had moved to sit beside his wife, holding her bloody body in his arms. He was crying and screaming non stop, making the three men more and more irritated. They screamed at his to shut up and when he didn't respond, another shot was fired, making the vault completely silent.  
  
Terrified, Debbie wrapped her arms around Miss Parker, burying her face against her shoulder. Without thinking, Miss Parker placed her arms around the young girl, gently running her hand up and down her back. Debbie pressed herself closer to Miss Parker and began to snivel silently. Miss Parker did her best to comfort her. She wondered how this would turn out. These men didn't seem to care how they treated people. And what worried her most was the time. She didn't know how much longer she would be okay without her medicine. And the lack of food and the stress didn't make it better. She knew if she didn't get out of there soon, her ulcer would begin to hurt much more than it was doing now. She prayed it wouldn't happen. As it was now, she could without any problems ignore the pain, but by experience she knew what an ulcer could cause. She didn't want to admit it but she was terrified.  
  
After a wile Debbie had calmed down and pulled away. She gave Miss Parker a shy look. "I'm sorry," she whispered.  
  
"Don't be."  
  
Another four hours passed and the people were still sitting in the same positions at the floor. No one dared to move. Some had started to talk, but their voices only sounded like soft mumbles.  
  
"Wonder what daddy is doing, he must be so worried," Debbie said.  
  
Miss Parker nodded slowly. "Yeah, he loves you so much," she said. "I wish I could say the same thing about my dad," she added to herself. Even if it wasn't supposed to be heard, Debbie caught it. She gave Miss Parker a sad look.  
  
There was a silence. After a while Debbie started to talk. "Can I ask you a question?" she asked in a low voice. Miss Parker nodded.  
  
"Do you love Jarod?"  
  
"What?" Miss Parker choked on her question.  
  
"I'm just curious, Daddy has talked a lot about him and you," Debbie said with a look that begged her to answer.  
  
Miss Parker sighed. She couldn't tell Debbie the truth. But she didn't want to lie to her either. "It's complicated, I prefer to not talk about it," she finally said.  
  
"Okay, but you don't have to hide it from me. I won't tell anyone,"  
  
Miss Parker stared at the girl in shock. How could she know? It was like she had read her mind. It was spooky. They didn't know each other that well, but it seemed like Debbie knew exactly what was going through her head. She couldn't help but smile. Debbie must be very brave, no one else except Sydney would have dared to say that to her.  
  
Miss Parker sighed. "It's hard to talk about it. You know, showing any kind of emotions at the Centre gets you killed. I have learnt to hide everything so well, I hardly know myself anymore," she said.  
  
"I'm not the Centre..." Debbie whispered.  
  
Miss Parker gave her a weak smile. "Trust me, you don't want to hear it, it'll only make both of us get some kind of depression. And then we both can talk to Syd." Debbie smiled at her remark.  
  
None of them came up with anything to say, so they just sat there for a while, staring into space. Suddenly Miss Parker realized Debbie was still waiting for her answer. She gave the girl a look of defeat. Fine! Maybe it would make her a little happier.  
  
"Yes, Debbie, I do... "  
  
First Debbie looked confused, but as she realized what Miss Parker was talking about she gave her a big smile. After a while her smile turned into a puzzled look. "Isn't it hard to pretend to hate him, to chase him like you do?" she asked.  
  
"I do what I have to do to survive, but yes, sometimes it's killing me," Miss Parker said with a deep sigh. Debbie just nodded sympathetically.  
  
"Have you ever considered having a baby?"  
  
"That's not an option. First, I don't have anyone to have a child with. Second, I would be a terrible mother. Seriously, what child would like to have someone like me for a mother?"  
  
There was a silence.  
  
"I would," Debbie whispered, looking straight into the older woman's eyes. Miss Parker couldn't help but let out a loud gasp. She stared at the young girl, stunned. She couldn't believe what she'd just heard. Was it possible that Debbie liked her that much?  
  
"Thank you," she whispered. She leaned her head against the wall and closed her eyes. An almost inaudible moan escaped her throat; she pressed her right hand against her stomach.  
  
"Miss Parker are you alright?" Debbie asked.  
  
Miss Parker nodded. "It's just my ulcer, nothing to worry about," she said. Debbie gave her a doubtful look. She let her hand slid into her pocket. Nothing, she searched through her second pocket still without success. Then she came to think of the inside pocket. She smiled as she felt the crackers she'd bought earlier. Why hadn't she thought of this earlier? She brought them out and took off the paper.  
  
"Miss Parker, take this," she offered.  
  
Miss Parker gave her a weak smile. She shook her head. "No, you eat them, it's yours," she said.  
  
"I'll take one. You'll take the rest!" Debbie demanded. Miss Parker didn't protest.  
  
"Thanks," she whispered.  
  
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ABOUT TEN MINUTES LATER.  
  
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"Okay Deb, since you seem to read my mind, I'm gonna be honest with you. I appreciate the crackers, but I don't think it's gonna help. I should have taken my medicine three days ago and if we won't get out of here soon I'm not sure what's going to happen, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."  
  
Debbie didn't know what to say. She just looked at the older woman. With a loud gasp Miss Parker suddenly clutched her stomach. She bit her lower lip to avoid screaming. Debbie gave her a frightened look.  
  
"It's okay; I just wasn't prepared for that..." Miss Parker tried to sound normal but Debbie could hear the pain as she spoke. She watched Miss Parker lean her head against the wall. She knew she was trying to hide her anguish. Debbie gently placed her hand on Miss Parker's shoulder.  
  
"I admire your strength Miss Parker," she said. She wanted to tell her they would get away from there and that everything was going to be okay, but she knew as much as the others in the vault that it wouldn't happen.  
  
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Miss Parker did everything she could to stay calm, but as the time passed the pain became harder and harder to stand. She knew she couldn't let it show. She would get shot, just like they killed the lady and her husband. She had to bear it, to save hers and Debbie's life, no matter what. Just as the thought went through her head a strong wave of pain shot through her stomach. She just only managed to suppress her scream. Her hands were pressed hard against her belly and she doubled up with pain. Even though she tried to be quiet a loud whimper escaped her throat. The men noticed her behavior and one of them walked up to her with his gun, ready to shoot.  
  
"What's going on?" he snarled.  
  
Miss Parker was in too much pain to answer. She tried desperately to not scream, but as another strong wave of pain shot through her stomach it was impossible.  
  
"Do you want me to shoot you? Just SHUT UP!" The man screamed, aiming at Miss Parker's curled up form. When she didn't obey him, he got even more irritated.  
  
"NO! Don't hurt her! Please!" Debbie got up on her feet to stand in front of Miss Parker.  
  
"Debbie, get away!" Miss Parker gasped.  
  
Debbie ignored her. "Don't shoot her," she begged. Her voice trembled as she spoke and she was terrified. But she knew she had to do something. She couldn't let the man kill Miss Parker.  
  
"Okay, you'll have five minutes to shut her up. Or else you'll be saying goodbye to mommy dearest... got it kid?"  
  
Debbie made a trembling nod. The man left. Debbie sat down next to Miss Parker again.  
  
"Parker, you have to be quiet. They're gonna kill you; please I don't want you to die. Be quiet!" Debbie sobbed.  
  
"I can't, it hurts so much!" Miss Parker managed to say between her screams. Debbie started to panic. This was not going to work. She was helpless! She started to cry, burying her face in her hands.  
  
Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder; she turned her tear-drenched face and saw a man dressed in a black suit. He walked up to Miss Parker.  
  
"Hey! Miss!" he said, snapping his fingers by Miss Parker's ear. The strangers voice made her look up for a while. She saw something big and brown coming towards her, then everything went black.  
  
Debbie gasped in horror as she saw Miss Parker collapse in a lifeless heap on the floor.  
  
"Don't worry, she's better off unconscious. Then she doesn't have to feel the pain," the businessman explained. Debbie nodded. She wiped away her tears, and then she took Miss Parker's limp hand in hers and held it tight.  
  
"I have been watching you two. You're strong, just like your mother."  
  
"She's... thank you," Debbie sniveled. She didn't bother to correct him. If people thought she was Miss Parker's daughter, it was okay for her.  
  
The man sat down next to Debbie. He gave Miss Parker a look.  
  
"What is wrong with her?" he asked.  
  
"Ulcer..." Debbie whispered. "Is she going to survive?" she continued.  
  
"Yes, I'm sure she is," the man said, trying to sheer the young girl up.  
  
The man with the weapon paced across the room, glaring at Miss Parker. But decided to ignore her.  
  
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BACK AT THE CENTRE. MR. PARKER'S OFFICE.  
  
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"Have you heard anything new?" Lyle asked his father as he walked into the office.  
  
Mr. Parker just shook his head. "They said on the news that two gunshots have been fired. But no one knows for sure what happened," he said. Lyle could hear the concern in his voice.  
  
"Do you think Miss Parker...." Lyle started but got interrupted by his father.  
  
"No! She is fine! She has so be..." he said.  
  
"You really are worried about her. I didn't know you cared," Lyle said a little confused.  
  
Mr. Parker didn't answer.  
  
With a sigh, Lyle left the room. He had a puzzled look on his face. Was it possible that Mr. Parker was concerned about his daughter? He'd always thought he had just pretended. But now he wasn't sure anymore. Lyle frowned. Maybe if his father showed his true emotions towards Miss Parker, maybe he could as well. He slowly shook his head. They both were better off hating each other. Even though it was, in his case, far away from the truth. Deep down inside, he hoped Miss Parker shared that feeling.  
  
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A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER. THE BLUE COVE BANK.  
  
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Debbie was still sitting on the floor, clutching Miss Parker's hand. The man who had helped her had returned to his so called place. Everything was silent. No one in the room dared to speak. From outside, mumbling voices could be heard. Debbie made a trembling sigh. She looked at the men standing by the door. She wondered if they ever would be able to get out of there. Maybe they would kill them all. Suddenly Debbie heard a low moan from Miss Parker. She looked at her. As she saw her squirming, she got terrified. What was she going to do? Miss Parker couldn't wake up now, she just couldn't! She knew that if Parker started screaming again, the men wouldn't hesitate to shoot her. She looked around the room to see where the businessman was. She didn't manage to find him. As Miss Parker started to wake up some more, she also got aware of the pain in her stomach. She tried to sit up, but collapsed at the floor with a loud cry of pain. Debbie stared at her, fear written all over her face. This couldn't be happening!  
  
Debbie was just about to say something when a harsh voice interrupted. She turned her head, looked up and saw one of the men standing in front of her. His weapon pointed straight at Miss Parker. Debbie couldn't help but let out a gasp of horror.  
  
"Didn't I tell you to shut her up!?" The man snarled.  
  
Debbie was speechless; she did't know what to do. She saw the man put his finger on the trigger, ready to pull.  
  
"I couldn't, please don't kill her."  
  
The man ignored her. He squeezed the trigger. The gunshot echoed through the silent vault.  
  
"NO!" Just as the gun was fired, Debbie attacked the man, pushing his arm away just in time. The bullet hit the wall only about one foot away from Miss Parker.  
  
"Get away! You dumb kid!" the man abruptly pushed Debbie away. Miss Parker saw the gun being pointed at her again. She gave it a terrified look. She was going to die, she knew that. Maybe if she tried to be quiet, the man would leave her alone. It was a good thought, but it was impossible to accomplish. The pain in her stomach was so strong; she didn't know what to do. She knew screaming didn't make it better, but she couldn't help it. She almost wished the man would shoot her. At least it would take away the agony.  
  
"Please...don't kill her. Can't you see, she's in pain, she needs to get to the hospital...please..." Debbie begged. The man sighed, looking at her.  
  
"Why the hell would I..." he started but got interrupted by Debbie.  
  
"I'll do anything! I'll stay here, just let her go," she pleaded.  
  
The man seemed to think for a while. He looked at Debbie, then at Miss Parker.  
  
"Who is she?" he asked. Debbie gave him a confused look. What should she answer?  
  
"My daddy's co-worker," she said in a low voice.  
  
"Where do they work?"  
  
"It's a place called the Centre."  
  
The man started at her, then his face lit up and he gave her a smug smile. Debbie wondered what had caused this change.  
  
"So, this is Miss Parker. I can't believe Jay didn't know she is married," he said.  
  
Now Debbie was more than confused. What was he talking about? How could this man know about Miss Parker?  
  
"Who is he?"  
  
Debbie didn't know what to say. Who did he mean? Suddenly she realized. This man thought Miss Parker and her father were married. She answered the man's question and couldn't help but smile as she imagined her father and Miss Parker together.  
  
The man knelt next to Miss Parker.  
  
"Nice to finally meat you, I have heard a lot about you," he whispered.  
  
Miss Parker was in too much pain to answer. She didn't even notice who the man talking to her was. The man laughed as he heard her moan. For a while, he just watched her. Then he suddenly, without warning grabbed her arm and forced her to stand up. With a loud cry of pain, she collapsed against him.  
  
"I always thought of you as a strong, independent woman. Hmmm, I guess I was wrong," he said as he abruptly lifted her up. With a quick movement he placed her hanging on her stomach over his left shoulder. Miss Parker squirmed, desperately trying to get down. But soon the pain got so strong she couldn't think of anything else.  
  
The man turned to Debbie. "I'm taking her to the hospital on one condition. You stay here, my friends will kill me if I let two of you out," he said.  
  
Debbie nodded nervously. Of course she wanted Miss Parker to be alright. But the thought of being left alone with these men scared her so much. The man turned around, walked up to the door and disappeared. Debbie slowly sank to the floor, leaning against the wall. She felt tears brim in her eyes. What was she going to do now? Would she ever get out of there alive?  
  
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A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER. THE BLUE COVE HOSPITAL.  
  
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"Your daughter will be fine. You can see her now."  
  
Mr. Parker gave the doctor a big smile. Then he headed for Miss Parker's room. Lyle, Sydney and a nervous Broots followed.  
  
As they entered the room, Broots rushed up to Miss Parker, asking questions about Debbie. Miss Parker gave him a sleepy look.  
  
"What?" she asked, not knowing what he was talking about.  
  
"Answer me! Where's Debbie?!" Broots almost screamed.  
  
Miss Parker looked at him; she felt tears brim in her eyes. What was she going to say?  
  
Broots saw the sad look on her face. He gave her a terrified look.  
  
"Oh my god! She's dead! I'll never forgive you for this Miss Parker! I hate you!!" Broots screamed. Almost immediately he felt someone grab his arm. He turned his head and saw Mr. Parker staring down at him with an evil look on his face.  
  
"Leave my daughter alone," he snarled.  
  
"No! It's her fault! She killed Debbie!"  
  
"Please, stop fighting, I'm tired," Miss Parker begged.  
  
"I don't give a damn! I wish you died instead of her!" Broots shouted.  
  
"Broots, listen. Debbie's not dead..." Miss Parker said, struggling to hold back her tears. Broots was too hysterical to hear what she was saying. He tried everything he could to yank Mr. Parker's firm grip off his arm, but Mr. Parker was too strong. With a look on his daughter's face, he decided to get Broots out of there. She needed peace and quiet, not some idiot blaming her for murder. He dragged Broots towards the door, opened it and got out. Sydney followed, knowing Broots needed someone to calm him down enough to understand what was going on.  
  
In the meantime, Lyle saw his chance to be alone with his sister. He walked up to the bed and gently took her hand in his. Miss Parker opened her eyes and gave the person she thought was her father a warm smile. As she realized it was Lyle, her smile faded away and she gave him a confused and suspicious look.  
  
"What do you want?" she snarled.  
  
"Nothing Sis, I'm just...I'm just glad you're okay. I was worried, we all were," Lyle said.  
  
"What? I thought you wanted me dead!"  
  
"That's just something I said. I care about you," Lyle explained. Miss Parker could hear the honesty in his voice. It actually sounded like he was speaking from his heart. But how was it possible?  
  
"I was so scared when you were in there," Lyle said, squeezing his sister's hand hard.  
  
Miss Parker was stunned. She had never expected any of this. Suddenly she felt a tear roll down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away.  
  
"Sis, it's okay, it's understandable after everything you have been through."  
  
Miss Parker shook her head. "I'm not crying because I'm sad, it's because of you. I never thought you cared about me at all," Miss Parker said as new tears found their way down her cheeks.  
  
Lyle gave her a confused look. Why would she cry over that?  
  
Miss Parker saw his puzzled look. "Why is everybody being so nice to me?" she asked.  
  
Lyle let out a small laugh. "Maybe because we all realized how quickly someone can be taken away from us. We love you, and now I think it's time for us to let you know," he answered honestly.  
  
Miss Parker couldn't help but let out a small gasp. This was just too much. Of course she couldn't wish for anything more than have a family whom actually loved her. But she wasn't used to all this affection, and especially not from her brother.  
  
Suddenly the silence was broken by their father's voice.  
  
"Angel, I'm sorry about that. How's your stomach?" he asked as he walked up to stand next to Lyle.  
  
"It's better," Miss Parker answered simply.  
  
"I'm glad. I was so scared when I heard about the gunshots at the news, I don't know what I would have done if I'd lost you," Mr. Parker said in a soft voice. He gently placed a kiss on Miss Parker's forehead.  
  
Miss Parker was quiet for a while. She gave her father and brother an uncertain look.  
  
"Thanks, it means a lot to me to hear you say that," she almost whispered.  
  
Mr. Parker smiled at her. "Why don't we let this be a beginning of something new? Our family has been through enough of pain and misery, and I'm sorry about that," he said.  
  
Miss Parker just stared at him, she wasn't sure of what she should answer. Did he really mean that? It was almost too good to be true.  
  
"Sis, don't you think that's a good idea?" Lyle asked.  
  
Miss Parker still stared at them. She didn't want anything else than to start over, but could she really trust them? Mr. Parker saw her doubtful look.  
  
"Angel, I know it won't take away all the pain we've caused you. I know it won't bring either your mom or Thomas back, but trust me; I'm so sorry about what happened. And I'm sure Lyle is too. Just think of it okay? I promise you, you can trust us," Mr. Parker assured her.  
  
Miss Parker nodded slightly. A small smile crept to her face. "Yes! I would love to," she said, still smiling.  
  
Just then the door opened and Broots peeked in. Mr. Parker turned his head and gave him a frosty look.  
  
"I just want to apologize," Broots said nervously. Mr. Parker nodded and Broots walked into the room, followed by Sydney. They walked up to Miss Parker's bed.  
  
"Miss Parker, I don't...I didn't mean to scream at you, I just overreacted. I'm sorry; I never meant to say those words."  
  
Miss Parker gave him a smile. "It's okay; I understand that you are worried about Debbie. And I'm so sorry for leaving her there. I would never have left her if I would have been able to think clearly. The pain was so strong I could hardly focus on anything, I'm so sorry..."  
  
"It's not your fault, I'm glad you're okay Miss Parker," Broots said.  
  
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TWO WEEKS LATER. BROOTS HOUSE.  
  
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Broots and Debbie were sitting in the living room, talking about everything that had happened, when the doorbell suddenly rang. Before Broots had time to react Debbie got up on her feet and ran to open the door.  
  
"Miss Parker!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Yes Deb! Can I come in?"  
  
"Sure Miss Parker," Debbie smiled.  
  
Miss Parker walked in and closed the door behind her. She turned to Debbie.  
  
"Remember what I tried to say when that man hit me with his rifle?" she asked.  
  
Debbie slowly shook her head. She gave Miss Parker a puzzled look.  
  
"I'm sorry, Miss..." she started but Miss Parker cut her off.  
  
She smiled as she saw Debbie's surprised, almost frightened look.  
  
"I wanted to tell you that you don't have to call me Miss Parker. You can call me Andi," she said. She couldn't help but smile as she saw the stunned look on the younger girls face.  
  
Suddenly she realized Broots was listening. By habit, she gave him an icy look. But soon, her coldness was replaced by a big smile, shocking Broots as much as it shocked his daughter.  
  
"Broots, it's the same for you. I have decided to change... actually, more like 'be myself.' That means Miss Parker is gone!" she said.  
  
There was a silence. Finally Broots spoke.  
  
"Are you...are you leaving the Centre?" he asked.  
  
"I'm not sure. I don't know where to go, the Centre have been my life for as long as I can remember...how can I just leave it?"  
  
"I'm sure Jarod will let you live with him!" Debbie smiled.  
  
Miss Parker gave her a puzzled look. She sighed.  
  
"Debbie, Jarod hates me, and honestly I don't blame him..." she said sadly.  
  
"No, he doesn't...he loves you as much as you love him!" Debbie said with a big smile.  
  
"You told him?!" Miss Parker gasped.  
  
Debbie just nodded.  
  
"You promised me to not tell anyone, how could you?" she asked, glaring at the girl. She quickly looked at Broots. As she saw his amused look, she turned her gaze to the floor, feeling herself blush. Shit! This was embarrassing!  
  
"Miss Parker...sorry, I mean Andi...I had to tell him, he deserved to know, especially after what he did for me," Debbie said.  
  
Miss Parker sighed.  
  
"Yeah, I'm glad he saved you," she said. "And the others," she added.  
  
"I still don't understand how he managed to do it, but it's Jarod. I guess we'll never know," Broots said.  
  
"Yeah. Listen, I just came to see if you two were okay. I have to go, I have meeting with Daddy and Lyle. I think I'm gonna tell them what I really feel about Jarod. This time, they will understand. See you later."  
  
"That's great. See you later Miss Parker," Broots said.  
  
Miss Parker turned and opened the door. She stopped in the doorway and turned her head.  
  
"By the way, it's Andi, get used to it!" with those words she left. Broots smiled as he watched her walk up to her car.  
  
"Daddy, I like that!" Debbie said.  
  
"Yes, me too...I think she's nice now," Broots said, still smiling. "I wonder what made her change?" he added.  
  
"A lot of things. I'm just glad she and Jarod can be together now...forever..." Debbie murmured.  
  
Broots gave her a puzzled look.  
  
"How can you be so sure?"  
  
"I just know..."  
  
~¤~¤~¤~ ~¤~¤~¤~  
  
The End. 


End file.
